The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 July 2008:"As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what percentage of the working-age population in Hyndburn constituency are economically inactive. (218288)""The Office for National Statistics compiles estimates of inactivity for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.""The estimate of 28% for people of working age (Males aged 16-64, Females aged 16-59) for Hyndburn Constituency was obtained from the APS for the 12 months ending in December 2007, which is the latest period for which estimates are available.""As this estimate is for a subset of the population in a small geographical area, it is based on a very small sample size, and is therefore subject to a large margin of uncertainty."